To fall asleep in his arms
by Mr Palmer
Summary: Melchior is the shoulder to cry on in many people's cases. See how so many people can depend on him.
1. Chapter 1

They all fall asleep in his arms.

Wendla stumbles to the hayloft. She is soaked to the bone for there was a sudden gush of rain on her way here. She is sobbing as she walks. The world seems to be crumbling around her. She no longer has a home and she has more than herself to care for now. _This is what it feels like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, _she thought. She knows he will be there- but that wouldn't be the hard part, even if he wasn't there. Asleep in his bed, she hoped he would be. So she could face this tomorrow. Or maybe he was running errands for his father all day tomorrow, and then she would have to wait til the next day maybe. Maybe he is busy studying for exams the day after that, and she will wait til the next week. But something like this you know you can't put off. It's just not that trouble-free.

She can see the light flowing through the trees, so someone must be there. How embarrassed she would be if it was his parents.

She clutches to her dress, which sticks to her skin. She took of her shoes a while ago, because they were filled with river water and made her feet slip inside her shoes. Who needs shoes when the pain from the bare ground beneath your feet doesn't compare to the other pains you experience? What difference will shoes or warm clothes make?

Her hair was stuck across her forehead, hiding her furrowed brow. She probably looked disgusting, but she felt disgusting on the inside too. She felt broken and dirty. But at the same time it felt slightly good, like she was useful- like she was finally doing something for herself. It was like a tiny candle keeping her just warm enough to keep her through this cold winter ahead of her.

She reached the door, but stopped there. She had to catch her breath. She could see Melchior's head just from here. She bent down to the ground, crouching and clutching herself around the waist and one hand on her head. She let out a cry she couldn't control- it slipped through her damp lips. She sat there and cried, forgetting where she was or who she was near. She whimpered, finally feeling the cold air against her back. It cut through the wet cloth on her back. _If I was whipped, this is what it would feel like. _She fell to the ground, curled up in a ball and sobbed loudly.

She heard quickening footsteps coming towards her. She couldn't find the strength to lift her head, to get up, to say she was fine. She felt herself being grasped and lifted, carried inside. Strong arms clutched her around the waist and legs. The person was familiar, she could just tell.

When she was laid down in the hayloft, she could see the person through her tears- Melchior. Her love, her other half, the one she would really care about for all eternity. The one who had done this damage to her and could never take back. How much she loved him. She had to tell him.

She closed her eyes, letting these last few tears escape from the miniscule cracks. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs, kissed her wet cheeks and eyelids. She opened her eyes to find his eyes filled with tears too. She reached into her pocket, to find a slightly damp but mostly dry handkerchief. She reached for his face and wiped his tears. He reached for her shoulders when she was done, pulled her body close to his masculine, well-built body. He held her close to his body, so she could hear his heartbeat. It was steady. _I am glad he can be strong. _His arms seemed to enclose him, like a cave. So warm and toned, he shut out the rest of the world. It was just him and her now. She looked up at him. He looked down at her.

She moved his hands to her stomach. She rested them there.

If he felt it properly, he would notice. She was showing a little. You could feel the bump, but you could feel the other life in there. The thing they made together.

He looked down at her, with confusion in his eyes. Her eyes welled up again, knowing that he would explode with anger any second. He would blame her fully. He would tell her to get out. Leave her with holes in her heart and no home, no hope for her child and herself. To leave them to die.

She let the tears flow again, knowing it was over. Everything was over.

* * *

_What hurts the most is to see such a bright light dampened by something you have no control over. _

It was silent until the sobs began.

Melchior had no idea who was crying, but they were close. They seemed to have so much sorrow in their sobs, the cries and whimpers overwhelming to the soul. It was like knives to the soul- they sounded like they were in so much pain. It hurt to listen.

Melchior slipped jumped out of the hayloft to find a girl collapsed by the doorway lying on the floor in a ball. Her thin, soaked body was shaking and convulsing in pain. He knew who it was instantly- the familiar dress, the beautiful shimmering hair, and the body he knew so well- Wendla.

He sprinted across the room, kicking up hay as he went. He knelt down to her. She wouldn't look up. _Is she hurt? Oh Wendla. _He picked her up gently; grabbing her by her tiny waist and her skinny little legs of a girl he has known for what seems eternity.

He took her up to the hayloft, her body shaking still.

He lay her down as gently as possible. He took her hand and waited for her to stop. He had to do something. He kissed her damp cheeks- they were cold. Normally her rosy cheeks would be so warm it was like kissing a mug of the loveliest hot chocolate. They seemed like rocks today, like_ she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. _He wiped away her tears with his thumb, trying to get her to stop crying.

Finally she opened her eyes, looking up at him with the saddest eyes. He blushed- everytime he looked at her he did this. He didn't know why- but she was always beautiful, even when she was like this.

He took her delicate shoulders and clutched her drenched, frail body to his. He enveloped her in his arms, trying to keep her warm. _She must be freezing. _

She opened her eyes and looked up at her. Her petite, silky hands took his hands and slid them down to her stomach- which he was amazed to find one thing. There was a slightly significant bulge. Every time he had touched, stroked his hands over her bare body- he had never noticed it. _But it wasn't there before- was it? _

It only took a few heart beats to figure out why there was a bulge. He looked down at her, tears filling her eyes again. _Oh god. _

* * *

_Oh god. _It really was over. Look at him.

The unexpected happened- he smiled at her. _He was smiling? _

_He had tears in his eyes, but he was smiling. He wasn't angry, sad, confused, distraught- the emotions she had seen him convey every time she had played this over in her head. He was happy? Why was he happy? Did he not understand? _

She couldn't speak, she was crying again. Why was he behaving like this? Did he see it as a joke? She was dead serious!

She gulped. She had to say something. "Why are you smiling? "

He looked at her again, showing the warmth in his cheeks returning. "Because I am happy."

_What? _

"Happy? Your happy I am with child? Your happy about what we have done, what we have created?"

"As a matter of fact I am. You want to know why? Because I love you Wendla. I love everything about you- even the things you don't like about yourself- and I know what you don't. I love the slight curve in your nose you got when you were 5 when I accidently tripped you down the stairs of your house. I like the freckle spot on your back, right in the middle of your spine. I love the way you rattle your fingers on the desk when you are bored. I love the way you hum while you walk. I love the way you laugh and you bite your lip when your embarrassed. You hate all these things about yourself, yet I love them all. I love how you have my child inside you, growing. And I don't care about the rules, you know I don't. I care about the things that I should care about the most- my love for you, my love for Moritz and the way I live my life. "

* * *

_My love for you. _

Does she not understand how I love her- whether she is with child or not?

_Wendla, you need to know. _

Finally she smiled. She lay down, shivering slightly. She was shaking because of the cold. Her damp dress must be making her feel like she is in the snow with no clothes on!

He took of his shirt- leaving himself with only pants on, and took of her dress for her. He unbuttoned the dress as quick as he could. He pulled it off her, leaving her body bare apart from her underclothes. He looked down at her belly, seeing its soft-contoured bulge. He smiled at it, put his hand on it. He lay his cheek down on it- it felt like he could feel it there, growing in its splendour.

He took of his shorts, knowing he had to dry her somehow. He wiped her shorts over her, getting rid of the water. Then he slipped his shirt over her body.

"Melchi, won't you get cold?"

He grinned at her. "I would catch pneumonia for you, Wendla. I am sure I wouldn't enjoy it, but I want you to stay warm now. Plus it's not that cold up here- will you keep me warm?"

She smirked at him, rolled onto her side and slowly pushed him down to the floor. She pulled herself on top of him, and lay down. He could feel her breath against his bare chest. He could feel her hips push into his body. He could feel her feet against his legs.

"I will be your blanket, if that's okay with you?"

He wrapped her arms around her, and whispered "That's okay with me."

And she fell asleep in my arms.


	2. Chapter 2

_How can you fail when all you do is think about it, work on it and focus on nothing but it! _

He walked home, head hung low. His satchel over his shoulder. Carrying him down, making him feel like he was drowning as the world around him crumbles.

A lonely tear trickles down his flushed cheeks. It travels over his cheek, over his chin and drops. Knives seemed to be tearing at his soul, making the world darken around him. _What would he say? What would she say? What would they do? _

He walked down to the river, where his best friend since innocent childhood and himself used to play, laugh, be free to be what they wanted.

For the first time here he felt cold. He felt stiff and rigid. Frozen to the spot, stuck in a jail cell. _All because of one thing. _

He had peeked and he had seen it with his own very eyes. He had jumped for joy and ran away in complete thrill. But it had changed anyway. It tore him down. It may have been easier, if he didn't peak- he wouldn't be confused and distraught.

_Why did it always happen to him? _

It started to trickle softly. It didn't soak him and it wasn't unpleasant- so he lay down and cuddled up. He cried for what seemed hours until he found him.

* * *

_Where could he be? _

So far Melchior had seemed to search every possible place he could be. It was starting to get dark, and he was worried. _The dark is an unexpected miserable place, for a newly miserable boy. You shouldn't be alone, Moritz. _

Suddenly a thought occurred to him- the river!

It had been their childhood place of meeting- where they played pirates, where they rowed the boat down the river, where they stole from their kitchen cupboards and made mini feasts on Sunday afternoons.

It was trickling rain, to match the miserable mood he was feeling. He hadn't even experienced what Moritz has, but he can just imagine how him of all people must be feeling- almost suicidal. _Moritz may even be, I know how passionately he tried for this. And it failed on him again, like other things. He must be worried. _

He stopped to hear footsteps, shoes crunching the autumn leaves on the ground. Melchior turned around a tree to see him collapse to the ground. In what seemed like pain, he clutched his side. He tightened up in a ball and sobbed.

Melchior walked over to him. He leant down to him, shoved him onto his lap and stroked his head. He whispered comfortingly to him, telling him he would be okay. That he understood, that he didn't need to talk, just let it go. He knew that Moritz would know he didn't understand, that it would be hard to let go. But he just hoped he would be okay.

Moritz burrowed into Melchior's arms and whimpered "I don't know what to do Melchior. I don't know what to do anymore. Please help, please save me. "

* * *

He had helped him up, he had hugged him- rubbed his back. He was walking through the forest in the freezing cold with him- arm around his shoulder. He was talking to him about Wendla. About how much he loved her- he loved kissing her, and holding her.

"Melchi- how far did you go with Wendla?"

"Moritz! I don't think I could tell you that."

Moritz sat down by the river. "Please Melchi. Nothing is going right for me right now, and I just want to know the truth about something."

"Moritz, are you sure you are up to knowing?"

He paused. "Most definitely. Tell me now. "

Melchior breathed hesitatingly. "Fine. But don't tell anyone. Well, Moritz- you know in my essay how I said the stuff about- the two geni-"

Moritz cut him off. "Yes I remember." He paused. Then giggled. "It's hard not to remember those things, especially with the diagrams."

Then he realized, and gasped. "MELCHI! You didn't did you? You went all the way! Oh Melchi, was it fabulous? "

"Yes Moritz, it was amazing! I felt alive, I felt like I could be anything. I felt in love. I love her, Moritz! I don't really know why yet, but I know I do. And it was the best thing I have ever experienced."

Moritz yawned and stretched his arms. "Well Melchi, I am glad. But I am tired, and I may fall asleep any second. I need to go home. "

"No Moritz- you need to be with ones who really love you tonight. Which is why I asked your parents if you can stay the night. Mama will wash your uniform for tomorrow and you can borrow some pyjamas from me if you wish. We love you being part of our family, and we will always be there for you. "

"Fine Melchi. But where will I sleep? "

"Hmm a tricky question. You can sleep in my bed, it's big enough for both of us."

"Okay Melchi, just don't wake me with your snoring!"

They both ran home together, like children in the final rays of light of the day.

He wrapped himself in the blankets of the bed, closed his eyes and crawled into Melchior's warm and forgiving arms.

And he fell asleep in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

This story contains a made- up character, she is Melchior's little sister and her name is Moriel. She is around the age of 8 or 9.

Melchior was walking home on this bright Tuesday afternoon, hand in hand with Moriel. She was one of his favourite people in the whole wide world- apart from Moritz, Wendla and his mama. Because she was quiet when she needed to be, loud when she could be and would always listen and give opinions. Even though she was young, she knew a lot more than the average adult- because she listened.

She looked like an angel too- caramel coloured ringlets to her waist, a few freckles on her lightly- rosy cheeks, deep blue eyes like sapphires- but with flecks of green in them, making them shine in all light. She had full coral lips, and a cute little button nose. She had the most beautiful little hands too.

He was her best friend, he had been told so many times before. He picked her dress every day, and slipped the pins with the butterflies to hold back her hair every day. He would make her breakfast, and in return she would help him feed the chickens. He would walk her to school, which was a shorter distance than his school every morning, and every afternoon would pick her up and drop her home. Some siblings fight all day and never speak, but there relationship was so strong they would never fight. They would tease each other, but never fight. He loved her a lot, that little girl.

"Melchi, Melchi! I picked a flower just for you. It's a daffodil, and it shines like the sun. And it's beautiful, just like you!"

She put the flower behind his ear, and giggled. "Oh Melchi you look a little silly like that!"

He laughed and picked her up, and put her on his back. "But Mori, I feel pretty. Don't I look pretty too?"

"Oh fine then Melchi. You look pretty." She covered her mouth and giggled her cute laugh. He felt her body shake. It tickled his senses. It warmed him.

When he arrived at her school, he bent down, put his hands on his knees and asked her what was the matter?

"Melchi, I'm not as pretty as Louisa Betel am I?"

"What, Mori? That is not true. You are the prettiest girl in the whole school- no, YOU'RE THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE WORLD!" He yelled the last part, and threw his arms out. Then he gathered her up and swang her, her legs and body spinning around and around. She screamed, then laughed and wowed.

Then it slowed, and he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her on the cheek, forehead and nose. He put her down, put her bag on her back- and said goodbye.

"Thank you Melchi- now I will be happy for the rest of the day!"

And she skipped off to school, as happy as can be.

_How long does the one emotion last? _

Melchior was walking home without her. Apparently she had not returned after lunch-time.

He was panicking- she had never gone out by herself for this long before. It was late in the afternoon, and it would be getting cold soon. He had to find her.

_Mama will be furious. I need to find her. _

He was walking past the church later in the night. He had gone home and dropped his bag, and had been searching for hours. Mama was writing him a note, explaining to his teachers why his homework would not be completed.

It was cold and icy and she would be so frightened. _So alone. _

Then, when he lost almost all hope, he heard her cry for help.

He screamed her name. "Mori! Mori, tell me where you are!"

"Down in the ditch, please help Melchior! It hurts! Please, help!"

And then he saw her.

She was covered in blood. Her leg was at a weird angle, she had a slit down her arm and her beautiful button nose was bleeding. She had red eyes, and her dress was covered in blood and mud.

"Oh , Mori! What happened to you? Oh god, look at you Mori. Where does it hurt?"

"Melchi, help me up. Please."

He walked down the ditch slowly, picked her up and started to walk her home.

He felt the blood cover his shirt a little, but he didn't care.

She looked so pale, probably from loss of blood.

"Moriel, you have to tell me who hurt you. "

"Oh, no-one hurt me. I was walking along the wall by the school and I fell down the hill. I hit some trees and it really hurt. I couldn't move because the tree was on me. It was all my fault. I am so sorry."

Her voice broke, and she started to cry.

"Now now, shh shh. It's okay now- I have got you. It will be okay, we will clean you up and you will be more beautiful than ever. I promise you. "

He sang softly to her. "_The heavens above, the roads ahead- you fall asleep and rest your head. The world is bright, and talk of night is only heard beyond your bed. You wish for beauty, you wish for might- but no such wish is needed tonight. For you are far more beautiful than angels see, because your my love and love is I give to thee. "_

He looked down at her, but she had her eyes closed.

She fell asleep in his arms.


End file.
